Hairnet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ena Sharples with hairnet in 1971.
Ena Sharples with hairnet in 1971.

A Hairnet, or sometimes simply a net or caul, is a small, often elasticised, fine net worn over long hair to hold it in place. A snood is similar but a looser fit and with a much coarser mesh.

Evidence has been found of hairnets as far back as ancient Greece [1]. Hairnets were worn from the 13th century onwards in Germany and England and are shown in illustrations from this period often worn with a wimple. They were made from extremely fine silk and edged with bands of either finger-weaving or tablet-weaving. [2]

[edit] Other uses

The word has been adopted by several organisations in computing and the world wide web.

  • Hairnet in the UK is a project to train older self employed computer trainers. [3].